In 2007 the National and State Libraries of Australasia endorsed 'The big bang: creating the new library universe', a document that calls on members to fundamentally shift their libraries into the digital world. It challenges members to accelerate their digitising efforts and to achieve mass digitisation online through collaboration and resource sharing.

The State Library of South Australia holds tens of thousands of analogue sound and audiovisual items. They represent only a tiny proportion of the collection that the library is responsible for preserving and making accessible to the public. While they include the highest risk formats held in the library, they are also among the most expensive to preserve.

How can institutions with a minority of audiovisual material ensure that the urgent preservation requirements of these formats are not overlooked in the effort to achieve mass online delivery of other formats such as photographs and publications?

This paper will explain the State Library of South Australia’s digitising plan for its audiovisual material within the context of the library’s broader digitising plan being developed in response to 'The big bang'. The paper will set out the goals and strategies identified to date, which are dependent on fostering interconnection and cooperation - not only with other collecting institutions and the wider community but also within the State Library of South Australia itself.